Spring rigging for locomotives and other vehicles



March 29, 1938. H. A. HQKE 2,112,623

SPRING RIGC'ING "FOB LOCOMOTIVES AND OTHER VEHICLES Filed Aug. 7, 1957WITNESSES: 4

4 4 I BY ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 29, 1938 SPRING RIGGING FOR LOCOMOTIVES AND OTHER VEHICLESHarry A. Hoke, Altoona, Pa., assig-nor to The Pennsylvania RailroadCompany, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationAugust '1, 1937, Serial No. 157.828

5 Claims.

My invention relates generally to spring rigging for locomotives andother vehicles. More particularly, my invention relates to the manner ofconnecting the spring hanger to the spring and to the equalizer. Thisinvention is a modification of the broad idea disclosed in anapplication for United States Letters Patent filed by me June 25, 1937,Serial No. 150,275, and the present application is a continuation inpart as to all subject-matter commonto these two applications.

For some years the spring rigging in use on railway l0comotiv% hasincluded a spring hanger connected at its ends to an equalizer and tothe spring by means of gibs. These gibs engaged the hanger through slotsformed in the hanger. Trouble was experienced from excessive wearbetween the gibs and these slots. This wear resulted in a very loose fitallowing the gibs to incline from the vertical. This causes an excessiveload and a spreading strain on the hangers at the slots. Eventualfailure of the hangers in a relatively short time was the shortcoming ofthis rigging.

Therefore, the principal object of my invention is to provide a gibwhich will overcome this excessive wear and strain at the weakenedpoints of the hanger. Another object of my invention is to provide a gibwhich will freely operate with guided Vertical movement. Another objectof my invention is to reduce the wear and tear and spreading strain onthe slots in the hanger by providing a separate guide to engage thehanger at a point removed from the point of engagement between the gibproper and its slot. Still further advantages of my invention willbecome apparent from the following detail description of an embodimentof my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

Fig. I of the drawing is a side elevation of part of a conventionallocomotive truck partially broken away to better disclose importantdetails of my invention.

Fig. II is a sectional view taken about the lines IIII of Fig. I.

Fig. III is a fragmentary side elevation partly in section of the springand hanger connection.

Fig. IV is a perspective view showing the gib in place in the hanger.

Fig. V is a perspective view of the gib.

In Fig. I there is shown a conventional locomotive truck having a frameI, wheels 2, journal boxes 3, center plate 4, center pin 5, equalizers6, spring hangers I, semi-elliptical springs 8 and gibs 9 and I0.

My invention is specifically concerned with the gib 9 which connects theupper parts of the hanger 'i to the semi-ellipticalspring B throughwhich the hanger 1 extends, and with the gib it! which connects thelower part of the hanger i with the equalizer 6. Of course my inventioncould. be used in other types of trucks than the one shown in Fig. I.Gibs 9 and it are alike and the following description of gib 9 alsoapplies to gib ill. The gib 9 engages a slot M in the hanger l in theusual way. The cross section of the gib 9 is shaped according to theslot It in the hanger l. The bottom engaging edge of the gib'9 isrounded as at I6 and is of sufficient length to properly engage thespring 8 in a cooperating groove and distribute the pressure as shown.The upper edge I? of the gib 9 is also rounded but is much shorter thanthe edge l6, and 00- operates with the upper portion of the slot I l ofthe hanger 1, its length being governed by the thickness of thehanger 1. Shoulders l8 and H9 are provided at each end of the roundededge I1, and spaced according to the width of the hanger 1 which fitsbetween the shoulders l8 and I9.

Having described the conventional gib from which my invention has beendeveloped, it is clear that with the conventional gib any wear at allbetween the slot l4, and the gib 9, the gib 9 will incline from thevertical and exert a gradually increasing spreading strain on the hangerI from within the slot Hi. My improved form of gib is further providedwith a guiding element 24 formed integrally with each of the gibs 9 andit, and this guiding element 24 overcomes the above mentionedobjectional tendency in the unguided or unsupported form of gib. Thiselement 24 has a rectangular cross-section and extends downward from thegib 9 and upward from the gib I9, thus always extending toward thecenter of the hanger l. A guide slot 25 is formed in the hanger incontinuation of each slot l4 and the elements 24 are designed to liesnugly in the slot 25 with capacity for free sliding movement. It shouldbe noted that the total length of the gib 9 or H] and its guidingelement 24 is sufficiently less than that of the two slots l4 and 25 toallow a substantial longitudinal movement of the gib 9 or 10 in relationto the hanger I. This construction allows for free vertical movement ofthe gib 9, maintains the gib in a vertical position at all times, andalso prevents excessive pressure on the sides of the slot [4, in thesprin hanger 7, through which the gib 9 passes.

This guiding element 24 thus distributes the guiding strain to a pointin the hanger removed from the weak point at the slot l4, therebyrelieving the wear in the slot l4 and avoiding any spreading strainwithin the slot [4. It is obvious that the length 01 the element 24 andthe distance between the slot I 4 and the slot 25 greatly reduce theeffective spreading strain according to the principles governing theoperation of levers.

The operation of my invention is obvious from the above description andcomments. In this manner, I provide a simple means for avoiding therapid deterioration of the hangers of a spring rigging without in theslightest amount reducing the free play atthe connections. The gib of myinvention always remains vertical in its free vertical movement and thelife of the spring rigging so equipped has been considerably increased.The design is such that the center line of the gib is kept substantiallyin line with the center line of the hanger and no increase in space isrequired for the hanger and gib.

While I have described a preferred embodiment and certain modificationsof my invention above in some detail, it will be obvious to one skilledin the art that further variations andchangesrcan be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as-hereinafter claimed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1'. In a spring rigging having a spring hanger, a gib-connectinglyengaging said hanger and another element of said rigging, said gibextending through-an opening insaid hanger provided for that purpose, aguide slot formed in said hanger 3. In a spring rigging having a springconnected to another element by a spring hanger, said hanger extendingthrough said spring and said other element, gibs extending through saidhanger at each, end for contacting said spring and said other element,said gibs having guiding elements attached thereto and operating inslots in said hanger, said guiding elements with associated slotsextending into the openings in said spring and other element.

4. In a spring rigging having a spring hanger projecting through anotherelement of said rigging and being connected thereto by a gib projectingthrough said hanger, a guiding element .forined integrally with saidgib, a guide slot formed in said hanger in continuation of the openingreceiving said'gib, said guiding element sliding easily in said guideslot; and shoulders on said gib to receive said hanger therebetvveen.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein the guiding element is of athickness which is equal to that of the hanger whereby the guidingelement does not project beyond the side surfaces of the hanger.

HARRY A. HOKE.

